]]>Ever wonder what to do with all the adorable photo Christmas cards you receive every year? I can’t bear to throw away friends’ & family’s cards, also because I know how much time & effort (not to mention cash) is spent on them. {I will admit though…I don’t always keep the cards that don’t have photos (sorry!), which is down to only about 10% of them.} And I love to look back and see how much kids have changed, new babies added (and in some cases new spouses!). I’ve been saving them for almost 20 years and there are some good ones in my stash! The cards themselves have gotten way better too, and easier. Remember when you’d have to print the photos and stick them into photo cards yourself? That was a project of gigantic proportions that would take me days!

I made this cute printable (click here: Christmas Card Scrapbook Printable ) you can print out (preferably on card stock), take to Office Depot and have laminated and use for a cover for a little scrapbook for all your cards! It’s a really quick & easy project and I’ll show you how to do it below.

-Hole punch (I used 2 holes of a 3-hole punch, but a single-hole punch works too)

{Back Cover}

Take the front and back covers to Office Depot and ask them to laminate them (this is very inexpensive). Trim both down with scissors to the size of the red area of the front cover printable. Stack all your Christmas cards in the order you want them to appear in the little book, then punch two holes in each. Depending on the shape and size of the card, they will be turned different ways. This is okay because in the end it makes the book look more interesting!

Punch two holes in the front and back covers. Insert the rings into all the cards and covers and you’re done! Store it with your other Christmas decorations.

Mine turned out to be very colorful and I love that it’s so portable and doesn’t take up much space.

Tune in next year to see if Aunt Bertha is still wearing her tacky Christmas sweater!

]]>http://marthajane.net/christmas-card-scrapbook/feed/0The Kids’ Table at Thanksgivinghttp://marthajane.net/the-kids-table/
http://marthajane.net/the-kids-table/#respondMon, 20 Nov 2017 18:20:18 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=743I come from a large extended family, and we’ve always had big gatherings for holidays. One thing you could always count on: there would be a Kids’ Table. For many years, of course, there was no question as to which table I would belong. I was oh so young and after all, it was the...

I come from a large extended family, and we’ve always had big gatherings for holidays. One thing you could always count on: there would be a Kids’ Table. For many years, of course, there was no question as to which table I would belong. I was oh so young and after all, it was the most fun table. My cousins and I could talk about what we wanted, throw table manners to the wind, and eat 5 of my grandmother’s homemade rolls without anyone saying “you’re gonna spoil your dinner!”. Never mind that the table itself was always some type of temporary folding table that came out of hiding when needed (along with matching folding chairs), or that we had mismatched plates and glasses (the adults got the fine china). It was our table! Sometimes there was a token adult or two present, those that straggled in late or perhaps came unannounced (trust me, they were happy about their lucky last-minute good fortune).

{kids will feel extra special if you include their crafts on the table, as I did with my son’s mason jar ring pumpkin}

The Adult Table consisted of, well, adults: my parents, aunts & uncles, and at either end, my grandparents. My grandmother rarely sat down though, as she always felt she had to serve us, constantly check the rolls in the oven, and keep cooking seconds, thirds & desserts. Now having four kids myself, I completely understand her plight. Her food was the best we’d ever tasted and we always wanted more, more, more!

Just being a part of the Kids’ Table is fun, but here are some ideas to make it even more fun:

Use craft paper as a table runner, set out crayons or markers, and let kids go to town drawing or playing tic-tac-toe. They can also use the paper to write what they are thankful for (not a bad idea for the Adult Table too!).

Set the table with holiday-themed plates (paper or not), napkins & cups.

Download a crossword puzzle app such as Crossword Hobbyist, then design one around relatives & special places…this provides hours of fun!

Use a website like Really Color to turn family photos into coloring pages.

Have kids write down what they are thankful for on slips of paper and place them in a jar. Read them aloud in front of the whole family later.

Set up a cookie or cupcake decorating bar.

{spray paint leaves from the backyard in gold, write names in a sharpie & you’ve got a unique place card!}

My grandmother’s passing left one lonely open seat at the table. Who would fill it? Since I was the oldest grandchild, I was the natural choice. My dad approached it like something akin to a presidential election. “Do you want to move to the Adult Table?”, he asked in a serious voice, long before the holidays that year. “You know you can never go back to the Kids’ Table if that’s what you decide.” Once made, the choice would be set in stone.

It wasn’t a hard decision for me. I would forever remain at the Kids’ Table, where it’s okay to fall backwards in your chair, stick asparagus up your nose and set the table on fire (those things actually happened once, along with many other shenanigans). My cousins and I often gather for a “Kids’ Table Reunion”, along with our children. The only difference is now we have two Kids’ Tables.

]]>http://marthajane.net/the-kids-table/feed/0Never Wake a Sleeping Baby!http://marthajane.net/never-wake-a-sleeping-baby/
http://marthajane.net/never-wake-a-sleeping-baby/#respondSun, 23 Jul 2017 22:21:41 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=1028It’s been a few years since Ive had little babies in the house. But boy, did I ever have them at one time. Four of them to be exact, all under 14 months at their very youngest. As you can imagine, this necessitated an army of people to help (it really does “take a village”)....

]]>It’s been a few years since Ive had little babies in the house. But boy, did I ever have them at one time. Four of them to be exact, all under 14 months at their very youngest. As you can imagine, this necessitated an army of people to help (it really does “take a village”).

With so many people coming and going, there were feeding & diaper changing charts coming out my ears. And when the babies were napping we of course wanted to close their nursery door to keep it quiet (relying on the ever-present baby monitors to keep us in the know).

Other times we would close the door when perhaps the baby was awake but simply playing in his or her crib.

How was anyone supposed to know if it was ok to open the door? And I dared anyone to do it….waking one up too early was not on the schedule!

So I came up with these little signs.

It’s a simple concept really. One side announces they’re sleeping; the other side tells you they’re awake.

Just type out your sign (or hand write), laminate it (any office supply store can do it), punch two holes, tie a ribbon or string and it’s ready to hang on the door knob!

I have to take a moment and say that lamination is my best friend!

These are like the hotel “Do Not Disturb” signs, without the maid service that you wish you had.

A final thought. When you see a sign that says “Twins are Awake”…you’d better wake up yourself and run for your life!

]]>http://marthajane.net/never-wake-a-sleeping-baby/feed/0DIY Grab Pole for Closetshttp://marthajane.net/diy-grab-pole-for-closets/
http://marthajane.net/diy-grab-pole-for-closets/#respondSun, 04 Jun 2017 21:05:35 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=1013Do you have a hard time reaching some of the higher clothes in your closet? Or maybe you’re a store owner (like me) who needs a little help when a customer wants something you can’t reach. No need to buy something fancy; make your own in about 5 minutes! You’ll just need these 3 items:...

]]>Do you have a hard time reaching some of the higher clothes in your closet? Or maybe you’re a store owner (like me) who needs a little help when a customer wants something you can’t reach. No need to buy something fancy; make your own in about 5 minutes!

You’ll just need these 3 items:

Wooden pole (as used in closets)

S-hook that can be screwed in

Drill with medium drill bit

Everything can be found at Home Depot or Lowe’s ! (I had an old pole from an earlier project).

First, drill a hole in one end of the pole a little smaller than the end of your S-hook. Just go a little ways down; enough to get it started when you screw it in.

Then just screw in the S-hook and you’re all done! Don’t be fooled by the small S-hook–it will work on all types of hangers in your closet.

]]>http://marthajane.net/diy-grab-pole-for-closets/feed/0One Room Challenge: Week 6 | Craft Room Revealhttp://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-6-craft-room-reveal/
http://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-6-craft-room-reveal/#commentsSun, 04 Jun 2017 04:24:34 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=986Yes, I’m about a month late with this. So much has happened over the last month there simply hasn’t been time! Way more important than my craft room reveal is that….I got engaged! Very exciting news! I thought if I want to blog about any wedding plans I first need to finish this One Room...

]]>Yes, I’m about a month late with this. So much has happened over the last month there simply hasn’t been time! Way more important than my craft room reveal is that….I got engaged! Very exciting news! I thought if I want to blog about any wedding plans I first need to finish this One Room Challenge!

I’m pretty proud of my peg board wall! And I should be…I stayed up one night/morning until 3 am to finish it!

The low table is/was a kids’ craft table and it looks kinda out of place in the photos but it’s actually a good workspace. And the kids, even as big as they are now, still use it once in a while.

I continue to be amazed at the types of things you can organize on the peg board: ribbon, hammers, glitter, magazines, duct tape and more! You can hang just about anything on there including shelves, artwork and antlers! Just get creative with the hooks and you can make it work. (For the duct tape I used a small dowel in between two hooks).

The rest of the craft room really didn’t change that much, except it’s far more organized. I can now see the floor and desk! Everything has a home. The real challenge will come in keeping it that way! The room certainly isn’t minimalist by any stretch of the imagination; looking at it now it seems very busy. However, I do like to keep a lot of memorabilia. For instance, on the shelves I have: my grandmother’s matchbook collection (which is quite extensive and contains pieces from restaurants all over the world), ribbons from a camp horseshow during the ’70s, and awards I won in 8th grade from Sullins Academy the same school my children now attend. I might have a mild case of hoarder in me. But I come by it naturally.

{my Granny and me @ our lakehouse}

If you’d like to see some before photos, click here and follow backwards. I’m thinking of doing this again in October, this time with my bedroom (which has already been redone)!

]]>http://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-6-craft-room-reveal/feed/2DIY Cake Standshttp://marthajane.net/diy-cake-stands/
http://marthajane.net/diy-cake-stands/#respondFri, 05 May 2017 00:00:30 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=929A few weeks ago, Janie & I did a live Facebook video (our first one) as part of my being an ambassador for National DIY Day (PS: check out my interview with Craft Box Girls by clicking here). And ta-da! Here it is on the blog to share with you…DIY Cake Stands. They are super easy...

]]>A few weeks ago, Janie & I did a live Facebook video (our first one) as part of my being an ambassador for National DIY Day (PS: check out my interview with Craft Box Girls by clicking here). And ta-da! Here it is on the blog to share with you…DIY Cake Stands. They are super easy and inexpensive. People have even told us they’ve tried it, which makes us happy! Since it was our first video, we apparently didn’t know exactly what we were doing so it ended too soon. We hope to hone our videography skills for our future videos. Enjoy! And let us see what you make!

]]>http://marthajane.net/diy-cake-stands/feed/0One Room Challenge: Week 5 | Craft Room Redohttp://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-5-craft-room-redo/
http://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-5-craft-room-redo/#commentsThu, 04 May 2017 03:31:57 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=942Week 5 already, and I’m trying to accomplish this in between two school field trips for 3 kids. From DC to Williamsburg by two buses and a train. Before I left though I really felt like I got something going on my pegboard. And next week I can’t wait to put the final look together...

]]>Week 5 already, and I’m trying to accomplish this in between two school field trips for 3 kids. From DC to Williamsburg by two buses and a train. Before I left though I really felt like I got something going on my pegboard. And next week I can’t wait to put the final look together as soon as I get home. Well, maybe after resting for a day or two!

I decided to spray paint most of my pegboard attachments gold. As I’ve said on here before, I hate any kind of painting preparation. But I know it has to be done. With spray painting there’s not much that goes into it other than spreading out some newspaper in a well-ventilated area. I got all of these attachments at Home Depot except for those little mesh pencil cups (which used to be silver). I found those at Office Depot and they will be attached to some super strong pegboard magnets.

This is my all-time favorite spray paint. Krylon Maxx in metallic gold. It only takes one coat to cover most things and the finish is so smooth it’s crazy. Another bonus is that it dries lightning quick! So I sprayed all of these items and let them dry, then about a half hour later I flipped them and sprayed them on the other side. After those two steps it’s a good idea to look at the pieces from all angles to make sure you didn’t miss any spots. By the way, some of these attachments had rather annoying sticker tags on them. Instead of taking the time to get the more difficult to remove ones off, I just spray painted right over them. The paint covered them pretty well, and anyway, they won’t be seen much once things are hanging from them.

I didn’t really have a plan once I got the pieces painted. I just started playing around with placement and color to see how I liked it and how it would function.

I’m going to use the longer attachments to hang my collection of tulle in different colors. That’s my go-to ribbon for gift wrapping! I took the white end caps off the spools because it looked cleaner I thought.

There are even pegboard shelf supports! The ones I found are just a tad short to support the scrap wood I plan to use (like this turquoise painted piece here), so I’m going to look for some longer ones.

These little wire baskets came in a back of three in graduating sizes. This one turned out to be perfect for the bottles of Martha Stewart glitter I have! I’m opting to leave the wire baskets in their original black to tie in with the black mantle in the middle of the wall.

I love the little mesh cups to hold paintbrushes and other items. But the metal in the cup just isn’t strong enough to hold tight to the pegboard magnet so I’m going to need to come up with another solution. Still working on that and I hope to solve it by next week!

This little attachment is just a desktop mail organizer that I have hung by two pegboard hooks. It may or may not work either…another item to add to my research list. For now, it’s up there and home to a Color, a special publication of Better Homes & Gardens. I got excited over this particular edition because it has an 8-page spread featuring Brittany Hayes of the fabulous design blog Addison’s Wonderland. I had the pleasure of meeting Brittany last summer at Haven Conference and I even got to take a design class she taught. I adore her blog and following her design adventures in her new home, which she has affectionately dubbed her “historic wonderland.”

All of my fun patterned duct tape will soon have a new home on the wall too!

I’ve had these painted orange antlers for about a year now, just waiting for the right home. I spotted them at Black Dog Salvage (the fantastic brick & mortar store for the Salvage Dawgs of the DIY Network) and simply had to have them! I knew they were perfect for this job when I realized the hangers on the back were the exact width of the pegboard holes. Not sure exactly what will hang from them yet but it will be a conversation piece!

To finish off the room, I’m thinking of using this zebra print rug, which I found at my consignment store, House Dressing. It’s always fun to shop at your own store!

Next week will be the big reveal! Up to now I’ve just been giving you bits and pieces, so tune in to see the whole picture! And click below for prior weeks:

]]>http://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-5-craft-room-redo/feed/3One Room Challenge: Week 4 | Craft Room Redohttp://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-4-craft-room-redo/
http://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-4-craft-room-redo/#respondThu, 27 Apr 2017 20:31:22 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=917I can’t believe it’s already Week 4 of the One Room Challenge! This really does prove that time flies whether you’re having fun (or not)! Things are cranking up this week and I’m getting down to the nitty gritty. The ORC is making me really get it done…otherwise knowing me I would be off in...

]]>I can’t believe it’s already Week 4 of the One Room Challenge! This really does prove that time flies whether you’re having fun (or not)! Things are cranking up this week and I’m getting down to the nitty gritty. The ORC is making me really get it done…otherwise knowing me I would be off in a million different decorating projects. Click here for the first three weeks: Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 5

So the pegboard is totally up! It is amazing how many cool attachments there are! This is going to be my go-to wall for organization from now on. It’s brilliant! I got several of these little metal clipboards at Michaels for $5 each. They come in lots of different colors & patterns. The cool thing is that they are hung on the pegboard by a super strength magnet found at Home Depot that screws right into the pegboard! There must be a zillion uses for the magnet. I went back to buy more but they only had 2 packs left so I have to wait another couple days to collect all 11 that I need/want for this project.

Since I’m leaving this faux mantle in place, I want to use it as an organization shelf. I found these glazed flower pots, also at Michaels, for just a couple bucks each. The question is…should I do a turquoise/orange combination or….

Turquoise and white? I love both but I’m leaning towards turquoise & white, just to keep it simple. There will eventually be a LOT of color on the wall and I can use the orange elsewhere. What do you think?

That’s a little magnet board above the pots from Michael’s. I’m just playing around with placement of everything at this point.

I went up to my attic earlier and snapped a picture of this handy dandy little thing. I call it a “pegboard spinner” although I’m sure there’s some other more official title for it. It belonged to my grandfather (“Papaw Guy”) who was a genius at building things…mining machinery, houses, churches (I like to think I got a few of my DIY skills from him). He used it to hang his myriad collection of tools. I inherited it from him along with many of his vintage tools. I’m thinking I may paint this and put it in my craft room or garage, especially now that I know how many cool attachments there are! It would look adorable holding ribbon all the way around, don’t you think?

I know I vowed not to get too “cutesy” with my pegboard, and stick to functionality, but I couldn’t resist this little shiplap-ish sign from Michael’s. Maybe I’ll paint something useful on it!

This coming week I’m focusing on spray painting all the attachments I now have…GOLD! I can’t wait to start organizing! Tune in next week to see a much bigger transformation.

Until then, head on over to the One Room Challenge to see what the other Guest Participants are up to this week!

]]>It’s Week 3 of the One Room Challenge, the ORC! This week I’m just sort of trying to tidy up the craft room while waiting for my pegboard organizational items to arrive! Click on these links for Week 1 and Week 2 . Also see Week 4 & Week 5.

One of my favorite parts of the craft room is the chandelier my son and I made a few years ago. You can read about it in an old post here. It drops down from a leopard-painted ceiling!

Another favorite part of the room is this turquoise door (in original paint) that came out of an old all-girls’ College that closed in 1976, Sullins College. During the building process, I had the door brought over and asked my builder to fit my craft room around it, and especially to keep the large hinges intact.

Imagine my surprise and shock when my builder called me one day and said he had the door on his saw horses and getting ready to sand it down. I said “whaaaat?!?! I don’t want it sanded down!” Thank goodness he called me first and averted a crisis.

Don’t forget to head over to Calling it Home so you can see what everyone else is up to this week!

]]>http://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-3-craft-room-redo/feed/2One Room Challenge: Week 2 | Craft Room Redohttp://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-2-craft-room-redo/
http://marthajane.net/one-room-challenge-week-2-craft-room-redo/#commentsThu, 13 Apr 2017 21:42:15 +0000http://marthajane.wpengine.com/?p=884I’m back for week 2 of the ORC…One Room Challenge, as a guest participant! Sponsored by Calling it Home, it’s a 6-week challenge to redo a room from start to finish in 6 weekly posts. I’m in the second week of redoing my craft room! I feel like I just keep moving things from place...

]]>I’m back for week 2 of the ORC…One Room Challenge, as a guest participant! Sponsored by Calling it Home, it’s a 6-week challenge to redo a room from start to finish in 6 weekly posts. I’m in the second week of redoing my craft room! I feel like I just keep moving things from place to place around the room. But I am making some headway! Check out my first week’s post here. It wasn’t that bad I suppose, but it just wasn’t functional. { Week 1Week 3 Week 4Week 5 }

I didn’t really need the sofa…but it was a little nostalgic for me because the kids would always sit there and wait for people to drive up. It’s like the best vantage point in the house to watch for cars coming up the driveway. But…they can still stand at the windows and accomplish the same thing. {by the way, the windows crank out…one time our redhead decided to open them and then spray the water hose inside…but that’s a whole ‘nother story}. So, I decided first of all to lose the sofa and move the table under the chandelier. Now it’s centered in the room with task lighting overhead. The table is an old kitchen table we had, that I made taller by putting it on some balusters! Typically I like to stand when doing craft projects so this was just what I needed.

The flooring is reclaimed heart of pine, which I love, but I may paint it one day. What do you think? There’s just something about a painted floor.

I decided to put peg board up on one whole wall in the room. I recently found out that there are all kinds of stylish peg board attachments to hold everything you can imagine! So it seemed like the best option. I wanted it to be a clean white (Wind’s Breath by Benjamin Moore) so the wall wouldn’t look extra busy.

And here’s a cool little tip: use a shoe box lid to punch your screws into, then spray paint them…what an easy way to let them dry safely!

First the wall needed to be painted the same color as the peg board, because of all the little holes. Bye bye turquoise! I got this little mantle at a salvage store years ago and had it mounted to the wall, so it’s going to stay. It can be used as a shelf! It pained me to have to cover up shiplap, because I looooove it…but it’s going to be worth it to be organized. Plus I have shiplap in other rooms throughout the house so I can get my fix (just don’t tell Joanna Gaines!).

Then up went the pegboard, which was an incredibly fast process (probably because I wasn’t the one actually doing it)!

A word to the wise: starting at pegboard too long can make you a little bonkers.

Now I’m busy looking for all of the fun attachments! Plus…working on the rest of the room. See you next week! Check out the progress of all the other fun projects at Calling it Home Week 2. I need a whole day just to get through all the fun rooms!